For quite some time, deaf-blind users of iDevices have been able to use face to face communication with the public through the notes app. This consists typically of an iDevice (iPod, iPad, or iPhone) paired with a Braille display and Bluetooth keyboard. The deaf-blind person can then type using the Braille input keys on their display, while the sighted and hearing person types on the Bluetooth keyboard. All text shows up on both the Braille display and the screen of the iDevice.
Reviews
Post Date:
As blind iPhone users who live in the United States, we really are spoiled, as most of the limited content out their about VoiceOver is directed at us. So when my colleague Jackie Brown at AppleVis wrote a great blog entry that primarily focused on iPhone Sports Apps for those living outside the U.S., my first thought was what about us U.S. sports fans? Yes, I know quite self centric of me, but hey, I’m an American and aren’t we known for being self obsessed?
All kidding aside, I wanted to put together a list of the best sports apps for those MLB, NFL, college football, NHL, and NBA fans.
Post Date:
Q: Why is a laser beam like goldfish?
A: Because neither one can whistle.
That was a line from Mike, the joke-telling computer in Robert Heinlein's classic novel, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Reading this book made me curious about the current state-of-the-art for computer generated humor. And what, if any joke apps might be available for my iPhone.
Post Date:
One of my favourite aspects of owning an Apple device is the ability to listen to sport on the go, and receive alerts within seconds of a change in the score. If you are a football or sports fan like me, check out these apps for your iOS device.
SkyGo
If you live in the UK, and subscribe to BSkyB, then SkyGo is a free app you can download from the App Store and access with VoiceOver. You can assign this app to two devices at a time in order to receive Sky services. If you want more nominated devices, then you would have to pay an additional fee.
Post Date:
I'm not of sound mind. I do not own a decent microphone and I am not an audio engineer. I do not record music or podcasts. I simply have thousands of audio files, captured and collected over a lifetime, that sometimes need just a bit of attention.
Post Date:
My mother used to claim I would lose my head if it were not screwed on. How I have suffered with that ancient rebuke. Dear Mother, I do not lose things. I simply store them in mysterious places.
Post Date:
The marquee features of thee iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are unquestionably upgraded cameras; a new always-on display; and a Dynamic Island’ that changes size and shape to accommodate various types of alerts, notifications, and interactions. For my circumstances and use case, I can roughly appraise these as having some potential utility, no utility, and some curiosity appeal.
Post Date:
Introduction
For many of us -- hard-core internet surfers, RSS is a familiar term. By the same token, the phrase "RSS reader" isn't esoteric at all. But let me talk a bit about RSS and RSS readers before moving on to the main focus of this post. According to the Pro Blogger website:
Post Date:
***Note: This post was written in 2012. Unfortunately American Heritage Dictionary 5th Edition became totally inaccessible in July 2016. So what you read below is no longer valid and only reflects history. To see what happened to this invaluable app and how it became inaccessible again, please visit this page. Thanks.
Post Date:
It feels like losing an old friend. Or perhaps losing one's love of life. But American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language was my friend in the world of iOS apps and my love in the world of dictionaries. So going to bed one night with an awesome dictionary which ticks all check boxes in terms of accessibility and getting up the next morning, hearing about the app's takeover by a new developer, re-paying for and downloading it, and finding it an absolute mess in terms of accessibility is nothing but a huge blow to one's morale. And the story doesn't even end there...
Post Date:
iPhone 16e availability in the U.S. is less than 24 hours away, and ahead of the launch, I was provided a unit for review.
Post Date:
When I spent a few hours with the Apple watch on April 8th 2015, I jotted down notes about the Apple watch’s physical description, general overall points, low vision and speech features, hearing, and Siri.
Some Initial Points
In a recent podcast of mine looking at the click wheel on the iPod nano 4/5th generations, and the touch screen access on the iPod nano 6/7th generations, VoiceOver access on the Apple watch has far exceeded my expectations.
Post Date:
Today, Apple began selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in stores around the world. And, unlike past iPhone releases, consumers now have two devices from which to choose.
Post Date:
On February 9, 2018, Apple finally released the highly anticipated HomePod to the general public. I was lucky enough to receive one as a gift from Cupid for Valentine’s Day and I thought that I would share my first impressions of Apple’s latest gadget.
Post Date:
Back in March when I took a stab at comparing iOS and Android from the perspective of a blind user, Android 4.1 (a.k.a. Jelly Bean) was nonexistent and no one knew what access features it would offer. Having tested Google Nexus 7 for more than two weeks and having seen blind users' opinions of Android 4.1, I'm now in a better position to compare iOS and Android yet again.
Post Date:
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is the largest iPhone Apple has ever made, and it offers the longest ever battery life on an iPhone. It also has the highest starting price tag of any iPhone (it starts at $1,199 and goes up very quickly from there). Some would never consider a Pro Max model because of the size alone; and that was before Apple increased the screen size this year.
Post Date:
The iPhone 16e (released February 2025) is Apple’s newest member of the iPhone 16 family. Apple kindly lent me an iPhone 16e for review; since its release, I’ve spent a little over a month using the iPhone 16e as my daily driver and have enjoyed the experience much more than I ever thought I would. The speaker quality is head and shoulders above my much larger (and much more expensive) iPhone 16 Pro Max. VoiceOver performance is fast and responsive. Battery life is strong and better than anything I ever thought possible on a handset of this size.
Post Date:
For 2025, Apple introduced 4 new iPhone models (not including the iPhone 16e, which I consider to have been from the previous generation).
Post Date:
Apple released its 2025 iPhones today. I was able to preorder an iPhone 17 Pro Max, and have spent the last couple hours setting it up. While the selling point of the iPhone 17 Pro Max was the increased battery life (something I obviously have not been able to test yet), I found myself surprised and impressed in other ways.
Post Date:
This time last year, those potentially in the market for a new iPhone were probably caught up in the hand-wringing that followed Apple's decision to drop the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
12 months on, and most of us would probably look back and wonder what all of the fuss was about.